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Summary
Netflix ’s late reliable - crime infotainment , How to Rob a Bank , tells the story of Scott Scurlock , a banking concern robber who run in the 1990s in Seattle . Scott was have a go at it to authorities as " Hollywood " due to the movie - grade prosthetics he wore during his heist to conceal his identity . Alongside his accomplices , Scott pulled a serial of heists and slip over $ 2 million before his destruction in 1996 .
Netflix has plenty of true - crime documentaries , andHow to Rob a Bankis another majuscule addition to the streaming platform ’s collection . The movie use interviews from Scott ’s booster and confederate as well as the law enforcement agentive role who were task with tracking him down . Hollywood is n’t as famous as some other American thieves , like D.B. Cooper or the Barrow Gang , butHow to Rob a Bankuncovers his remarkable story .
10Scott Was Inspired By Bodhi From Point Break
Scott had a lot in common with Patrick Swayze’s character
Scott was first inspired to plume banks after watchingPoint Break , which was released in 1991 . He was especially take up to Patrick Swayze ’s type Bodhi , a free - spirited bank robber who uses his money to fund his passion for surf all over the earth . Scott was n’t a surfer , but he resonated with Bodhi ’s passive message and his philosophic takes on modern life-time and money .
Scott was describe to Patrick Swayze ’s character Bodhi , a loose - spirited bank robber who utilise his money to fund his cacoethes for surf all over the man .
InPoint Break , Bodhi conduct a mob called the ex - presidents , who gazump camber wearing caoutchouc Halloween mask of former presidents . In protection , Scott pull his first bank robbery wearing a Ronald Reagan masque , which is the same as Bodhi ’s . Scott and his accomplices were also inspired by otherclassic heist movies . They saw the wild , chaotic shootout in Michael Mann’sHeatand distressed if they would ever find themselves in a exchangeable place .
9Seattle Was A Hotspot For Bank Robberies At The Time
Police didn’t initially pay much attention to Scott’s crimes
Scott and his associates were far from the only camber robbers operating in Seattle during the 1990s . How to Rob a Bankexplains that the city saw a fiscal boom with the inflow of Microsoft , Amazon , and other tech companies . This influx of money meant that there were more banks than ever before , and this subsequently make a ascent in robberies . One FBI federal agent states thatthere was almost a raw looting every night in the city .
This uptick in bank robberies ab initio worked in Scott ’s favor . His first few robbery were relatively little , and this allowed his crime to skid under the radio detection and ranging .
This uptick in bank robberies initially worked in Scott ’s favor . His first few robberies were relatively small , and this allowed his crimes to slip under the radar . The police and the FBI were working on much magnanimous robbery involving huge amount of money , soScott Scurlock ’s crime spreewasn’t a priority , at least until he figured out how to get inside the bank ’s vaults and exponentially increase his take .
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8Despite Stealing Millions Of Dollars, Scott Lived In A Treehouse That He Built
Scott and his friends lived a carefree lifestyle in the woods
Scott made over $ 2 million in amount from his banking concern robberies , but he still lived in the same treehouse which he built before he started make money . He built the treehouse with some of his friends in the lush timberland of the Pacific Northwest just outside of Seattle , and a group of them survive there isolated from the outside globe . The treehouse was amazingly modern in some way , as it had a exploit bathroom and electricity .
Scott enjoyed the lifestyle that he establish for himself at the treehouse with his Quaker and girl , and the privateness allowed him to frequently wander around in the nude statue .
Even when he start taking in hundred of thousands of dollars from his heists , Scott was n’t tempted to purchase another home . He enjoyed the lifestyle that he built for himself at the treehouse with his booster and girlfriends , and the privacy allowed him to ofttimes roll around in the nude . The treehouse tumble shortly after Scott ’s decease , but luckily nobody was inside at the prison term .
7Scott Had Several Accomplices, Including One Who Worked In A Bank
“Mustang” is never named
How to overcharge a Bankexamines Scott ’s accomplicesas well as the man himself . Although the police initially thought that Hollywood was a one - military man mental process , Scott had several people helping him at different times . He was ordinarily the only individual who would actually enter the bank , but his friends were often alfresco listening to police scanner and check the streets for any activity .
Scott received help from a woman who bring at Seafirst bank , who communicate on her privileged information about the vaults and the bank protocols .
Scott ’s two principal accomplice were Steve Meyers and Mike Biggins , both of whom serve retentive prison house time for their involvement . Scott also received aid from a womanhood who worked at Seafirst bank , who drop dead on her inside information about the vaults and the bank communications protocol . This is what initially allow Scott to increase his hauls from under $ 10,000 to hundred of thousands . She is identified inHow to Rob a Bankby the pseudonym " Mustang , " and there is no reading that she served any jailhouse time .
Custom image by Yailin Chacon
6Scott Was Kicked Out Of College For Cooking Crystal Meth
Scott could have been a doctor if he had finished his studies
Scott ’s depository financial institution robbery were n’t his first foray into criminal activeness . How to Rob a Bankreveals that he ab initio hop to become a doc , but he became disillusioned during his studies . Scott excelled in his classes , especially chemistry , but he was forced to miss out of college just a few credits diffident of graduating after he was bring out using his college ’s laboratories to cook quartz glass glass .
Scott surpass in his classes , especially alchemy , but he was force to drop out of college just a few credits shy of graduating after he was discovered using his college ’s lab to cook crystal meth .
harmonize to his friend , Scott ’s crystal ice became well - known topically for its high timber . Scott take meth recreationally , but he was never hook to the dot that it became a serious problem for him . This chapter in his life provided him with a serious income for a while , and this is how he managed to afford the ground which he finally built his treehouse on , but he quit the drug craft when he became worried that it was too serious . This is when he call on to fleece cant as an alternative source of income .
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5The FBI Thought That Hollywood Could Be A Police Officer
Scott was always one step ahead of his pursuers
How to pluck a Bankfocuses on the efforts of law enforcement just as much as it concentre on Scott , but the investigation into Hollywood was n’t always smooth . There were frequent disputes between the police and the FBI , and even among different people working on the same team . One of the theories that was floated in the FBI was that Hollywood could be a police officer , sincehe appear to know so much about police tactics .
unlike interviewee inHow to Rob a Bankoffer their own opinions on this theory , but their conflicting account make it concentrated to trap down who exactly supported the theme and who fire it .
Different interviewees inHow to Rob a Bankoffer their own opinions on this theory , but their conflicting reports make it hard to pin down who precisely supported the approximation and who dismissed it . How to Rob a Bankalso prove the lack of communication between the FBI and the Seattle police force , as police officers are surprised to arrive at the setting of a coin bank looting and see that the FBI are already there .
4Scott Burned Through $21,000 A Month
Hollywood fancied himself as a Robin Hood character, so he gave money to his friends when they needed it
One of the key details that eventually caused Scott ’s fall was that the FBI was able-bodied to accurately predict when he might target his next bank . They enter this out by recognizing the pattern of his previous robbery . Agents find out that he fleece a Modern banking company whenever he was running low on cash . Based on the amount of money that he take from each robbery and the clip between robbery , they figured that he was probably spending around $ 21,000 a calendar month .
One of the key details that eventually caused Scott ’s ruin was that the FBI was able to accurately predict when he might place his next banking company .
This figure of speech turn out to be precise , althoughit ’s a piddling undecipherable how Scott expend so much money while living in his treehouse . Some of the money must have been reinvested as Scott and his gang buy new vehicles and equipment , and some of it would have been cleave among other members , but this still leaves a mickle of cash unaccounted for . Scott ’s friends say that he never guard his money too nearly , and he would happily bring thousands of dollars to a friend if they were in penury .
3Scott Planned To Hit Three Banks In One Day Before Quitting
Scott’s final heist could have been worth $5-6 million
Scott ’s career as a banking concern robber ended when a holdup go wrong on Thanksgiving eve , but that daytime almost pop off completely differently . Although Scott always envisioned it as his concluding robbery before withdraw and living off of the profits , his initial plan was to polish off three bank in a unmarried day . Scott reasoned that he could stay one step ahead of the constabulary by quick moving from one money box to another .
This programme seems like a wild escalation , but it actually reflects Scott ’s actions after his very first looting .
This plan seems like a risky escalation , but it actually reflects Scott ’s actions after his very first robbery . Before he had worked on his technique , Scott and one of his friend pull off a sloppy stickup in which they made several rookie wrongdoing , such as using each other ’s real name and take flight on foot over a golf course full of looker . Despite the topsy-turvyness of that initial robbery , Scott was keen to hit another bank forthwith .
Many smashing crime picture take intake from real example , but heist movies are an exclusion . There are only a few heist pic ground on honest chronicle .
2The Hollywood Bandits Came Close To Escaping
The trio found one of the two trackers hidden in the stolen money
The Thanksgiving eventide heist was Scott ’s biggest line ever , and he come agonizingly close to pulling it off . He and his associates , Steve Meyers and Mike Biggins , knew that once they got the money in the van , they would have to quickly place the two trailing devices hide in the pile of cash and toss them out the window . As police unit of measurement closed in on the tracking gadget from all around , the Hollywood Bandits face a race against the clock .
If they had managed to obtain the 2nd tracking equipment a little faster , there ’s a secure chance the trio would have evaded the police force and escaped for good .
Scott , Steve and Mike managed to locate one of the tracker relatively quick , and the police force find it abandoned by the side of the road . If they had managed to witness the 2nd twist a small faster , there ’s a adept chance the terzetto would have evaded the police and escaped for commodity . Unfortunately for the robber , they struggle to obtain the tiny tracker hide among the century of grand of dollar bill in the van . They even rehearse how to observe the tracker under insistency with a smaller armed robbery beforehand , but this end up being poor grooming .
1There’s Some Dispute Over The Details Of The Shootout
The police and the robbers offer different stories
Scott and his gang always feared that they would end up in a firefight just like the one inHeat , and this turned out to be the case on the night of their disastrous Thanksgiving eve heist . After police located their pickup van using the tracking devices which were hold in in the push-down storage of cash , Scott realise he would have to fight his room out . It ’s unmistakable that Scott stepped out of the equipment driver ’s behind with a gun , but some of the other detail have been disputed .
The main point in time of contention is over who fired the first jibe . Police claim it was the robber , while the robber claim that the police opened fire .
The main point of contention is over who fire the first shot . Police arrogate it was the robber , while the robbers claim that the police open fire . Even after the gunplay , there were disagreements about the natural action of the police policeman on the vista . Shawn Johnson , one of the FBI agents tasked with apprehend Hollywood , say that he would have preferred to take the robber in awake , butHow to Rob a Banksuggests that jurisprudence enforcement may not have had another hazard before Scott disappeared for good .
